Dubai:A total of ten Bangladeshi cricketers have been included in the final draft list for the revamped Afghanistan Premier League (APL). The player draft is set to take place tomorrow in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has shortlisted 462 cricketers for the final draft from around 1,500 registrations by domestic and overseas players. The five-team T20 tournament is scheduled to commence on December 27, with the United Arab Emirates hosting the competition, although the final venue has yet to be announced.
Among the Bangladeshi players in the draft, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and Rishad Hossain have been placed in the Platinum category. Other Bangladeshi players on the list include T20 captain Liton Das, Towhid Hridoy, Shoriful Islam, and Nahid Rana.
Pakistan leads in terms of foreign player representation, with 29 cricketers registering for the draft. India's Vijay Shankar, who has retired from international and domestic cricket, is also among the registered players, along with Ayan Khan and Murugan Ashwin. Additionally, international players like Wanindu Hasaranga, Riza Hendricks, Romario Shepherd, Rovman Powell, Imran Tahir, and Akeal Hosein have entered the draft.
The ACB has already announced the captains, head coaches, and mentors of the five participating teams. Rashid Khan will lead Kandahar Warriors, while Ravi Bopara will serve as head coach and Irfan Pathan as mentor. Azmatullah Omarzai will captain Kabul's Axel United, with Shane McDermott as coach and Nikhil Chopra as mentor. Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been named captain of Nangarhar, with Toby Radford as head coach and Mark Boucher as mentor. Rahmat Shah will lead Paktia, coached by Azhar Mahmood, with Waqar Younis as mentor. Ibrahim Zadran will captain Balkh, with Mickey Arthur as head coach and Tillakaratne Dilshan as mentor.
Each franchise in the APL will have a maximum salary budget of US$725,000 for its squad, which will consist of 19 active players—17 selected in the main draft and two in the supplementary round. Teams must include at least seven Afghan players, including one emerging cricketer, in their playing XI, while the number of overseas players cannot exceed four. At least three foreign players must also be among the first nine draft selections.
The Afghanistan Premier League, which debuted in 2018, was suspended due to financial irregularities and disciplinary issues. The competition is now set to return in a revamped format after a lengthy hiatus.